Tag: ways to live forever

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7 Movies With Iconic Grandparents

 

Grandparents Day is filled with love and joy. In celebration of National Grandparents Day 2016, we have created a list of well-known movies with awesome grandmas and grandpas.

The Godfather

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Vito Corleone is one of the most ruthless, violent bosses of New York’s biggest crime syndicate. He is wise and intelligent, an excellent reader of others’ intentions, and a smooth, subtle talker, able to convince with words, not only bullets.Though a cold-hearted criminal, Vito is also a warm, loving grandfather; he’s a family man who loves playing hide-and-seek with his grandson, Anthony. Although the movie is three hours long, it absorbs us so effectively, it never has to hurry, and is worth watching.

The Proposal

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Betty White nails it again, playing yet another awesome Nana in The Proposal. Playing Grandma Annie in the film, White’s acting alone is worth watching this romantic comedy. Gammy definitely takes the spotlight during her 90th birthday party weekend, innocently budding the romance of Andrew and his boss, Margaret.

Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory

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Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory is a well-loved movie based on the book, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Parents love it, children love it, everyone loves it. In both versions of the tale, it’s pretty clear who is number one in Grandpa Joe’s mind. He decides he must accompany Charlie to the chocolate factory and nonetheless they were tempted by the Bubble Room. But really, wouldn’t anyone be?

The Nightingale

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This movie is the epitome of a “family movie,” and would be great to watch on National Grandparents day. No other movie portrays such a light-hearted relationship between grandfather and granddaughter. Watch as Zhu Zhi Gen takes his granddaughter, Ren, on an adventure to discover her roots in the country.

Parenthood

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Frank Buckman experiences quite the transformation throughout the movie, Parenthood. Back in the day, he had always been seen as quite the neglectful father, being unable to emotionally relate to his four children. Amid all conflict that went down in the family, Frank had to step up and dramatically change into the most wonderful grandparent. A combination of drama and comedy, this cutting-edge classic would be a delightful way to celebrate family life in all its imperfection.

The Princess Diaries

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Who wouldn’t want the fabulous Queen Clarisse Renaldi as their grandmother? When her son dies, her majesty grooms her daughter, Mia, into the princess of the fictional country of Genovia that she is today. This movie depicts the realm of many girls’ fantasy - from having a royal makeover, to becoming a princess, to living happily ever after. It is an entertaining, warm-hearted story that every grandmother/granddaughter duo would enjoy.

Ways to Live Forever

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Sometimes, being a grandparent can be hard. Phyllida Law played Sam’s grandmother, who has to endure the hardships of having her grandson diagnosed with leukemia. This touching film addresses the extremely difficult topic of incurable, terminal diseases. It asks many of the big questions about life and death and reasons through them in a simplistic, childlike sort of way that is thoroughly logical from the perspective of a 12-year-old. This is a simply-made drama, but everything about it is absolutely solid.

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Actors Who Share the Same Birthday and Work Together

 

In celebration of our actors Emilia Clarke and Ben Chaplin, stars in our film Ways to Live Forever, birthday’s we decided to research celebrities who have collaborated with one another and also have the same birth-date.

  • Orange is the New Black: It’s bacckkk and it’s badder than ever. Season 4 of Orange is the New Black has just been released and we are super excited. This season has been one of most enthralling, saddest seasons of the series and viewer are anxious to see what happens next in series. We wonder if the creators will bring back  Lorraine Toussaint who plays villain “Vee Parker” from season 2. We are also curious about the fate of regular Natasha Lyonne who plays lovable drug addict “Nicky Nichols”. We can’t tell you what happens next but we can tell you that both actresses share the  same birthday of April 4th. We’re sure both birthdays breed room for a nice prison frenemy party, shives included.
  • Harry Potter: Even though the original Harry Potter movie series has ended, and a new one is beginning, we are still happy to mention the cast of Harry Potter not only had actors who shared the same birthday but also the same name. Actresses Emma Watson who played brainiac “Hermione Granger” and Emma Thompson who played “Professor Sybill Trelawney” both shared the same birthday of April 15th in addition to having the same name as well. While we know Watson's role in the Rowling's series has ended we are curious to see if there will be any familiar faces in the new series such as Thompson.
  • The Big Bang Theory: The show The Big Bang Theory is known for its wit, and being one of the few shows that feature geeky main characters in a positive light. Perhaps the biggest overlaps is the birthdays of main characters Johnny Galecki who plays “Leonard Hofstadter” and Kunal Nayyar who plays “Rajesh Koothrappali”. Both men were born on April 30th with a six year separation between the two. Maybe the cast celebrates with  dairy-free, cinnamon favored cakes in honor of the two cast members.
  • Superbad: The movie Superbad is one of the funniest movies ever debuted in the U.S.. It features famous comedy actors Michael Sera, Jonah Hill, and “Christopher Mintz-Plasse” as high school seniors who quest to drink alcohol and pick up girls to before high school ends. Something highly coincidental about the movie is Michael Sera who plays “Evan”  and Bill Hader who plays “Officer Slater”  share the same birthday of June 7th. We’re pretty sure that if the cast celebrated their birthdays together no fake Ids were need. Sidenote: Shout out to Christopher Mintz-Plasse and Dave Franco who were both in the movie and both born in June as well.
  • What I Like About You: The show What I Like About You features sisters “Holly” and “Valerie Tyler” played by Amanda Bynes and Jennie Garth. Bynes and Garth not only shared a set and a fictional sisterhood, they also share a birthday. Both actresses were born on April 3rd. This must have made for a bunch of fun, quirky birthday parties on set. Unfortunately, What I Like About You ended in 2006 and both actresses have moved on but there are still reruns and memories for the fans to live off of.
  • Old Dogs: Old Dogs is a movie starring John Travolta and the late Robin Williams who play marketing executives who have to balance the success of their company and their children. The movie is a comedy, showing of Williams and Travolta’s comedy skills and end on a good note. Interestingly enough, supporting actor Matt Dillon and main actor John Travolta, who were both popular actors in the 80’s but managed to not work together until the mid 2000s, both share the same birthday of February 18th.
  • The Aviator: The movie The Aviator follows the life of pilot, “Howard Hughes”, played by Leonardo Dicaprio, his ambitions, his obsession with Aviation, his paranoia, and his mental breakdown. This movie is considered poignant and is one of Dicaprio’s best movies. Supporting actors Alec Baldwin who plays Juan Trippe and funnyman turned drama actor Adam Scott plays “Johnny Meyer. Both actors not only share the spotlight in the movie they also celebrate the same birthday of April 3rd as well.
  • The Godfather: The original Godfather movie is described as one of best films in America’s film history. The movie centers around an a crime family, violence, and the feud between five crime families. Unsurprisingly, the movie is a bloody one ending in the death of most of its characters. However, we were surprised to find Diane Keaton who plays “Kay Adams- Corleone” and Robert Duvall who plays “Tom Hagen” both share the same birthday January 5th.  Perhaps they offer parties their guests can’t refuse.
  • Ways to Live Forever: The movie Ways to Live Forever centers around the story of a young boy who has to come to grips with his mortality as he begins losing  his battle with cancer. It star British actors Robbie Kay, Ben Chaplin, and  Emilia Fox. Both Chaplin and Fox were born on July 31st with a five years difference between the two. All the actors have since moved on from the set with main character Robbie Kay starring as Peter Pan in the hit show Once Upon a Time, Ella Purnell starring in Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, Ben Chaplin was in Cinderella, and Emilia Fox appearing in films and television shows.
  • 20,000 years in Sing Sing: 20,000 years in Sing Sing follows the story of a criminal who gets sent to jail for assault and battery. While there his girlfriend visits him in jail but stops coming when she was in a near fatal accident. The main character goes on furlough in order to take care of his girlfriend but ends up killing someone. He goes to jail and is sent to death row for his crimes. The movie stars old Hollywood actors Spencer Tracey and Bette Davis who both share the same birthdate of April 5th. Unsurprisingly, all both actors have appeared in movies  and other projects with one another so we’re sure they celebrated their birthdays together at least once.

 

 

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Appreciation of Friends & Siblings on National Brother’s Day

 

Do you have a brother? Or are you, yourself, a brother? Well, today’s the day to treat your brother or get spoiled by a sibling because it’s National Brother’s Day! Don’t have a brother? Why not take a friend out that you see as a brother? Brotherhood goes beyond just being siblings or sharing a parent or parents. No, brotherhood extends to those you consider close to you, the guys that support you even through your dumbest ideas. Brotherhood is about being there for one another through thick and thin and showing that you care.

Sam (Robbie Kay) and Felix (Alex Etel) have a bond that goes deeper than anything than they had in the film Ways to Live Forever, where the two saw each other beyond their illnesses. They saw each other as friends - even best friends - to the point where they were brothers to one another. Sam and Felix found brotherhood through their illnesses and together they tackled on a to-do list before death. That kind of bond is rare to come by. So today on National Brother’s Day, celebrate your own bond with your brother, whether they are related to you or not, and show them that you appreciate them!

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Celebrating International Nurses Day!

 

Join us in celebrating nurses all over the world for their contributions and the important roles they play in your healthcare on International Nurses Day.

Often times we forget to show appreciation towards the people who choose to make helping others their career. Because of this, every year on May 12, people come together to say “thanks” for all the care and attention nurses all over the world have given.

The International Council of Nurses has celebrated Nurses’ Day since 1965. The date May 12 was chosen to celebrate the anniversary birth date of Florence Nightingale.

Florence Nightingale is one of the most influential nurses from the late 1800’s. She nursed sick and wounded soldiers from the Crimean War and her ideas have made an impact on today’s healthcare.

In 1860, Nightingale established the Nightingale Training School at St. Thomas’ Hospital in London. This was the first professional training school for nurses where nursing education became formalized.

Nurses tend to spend more time with direct contact to patients. This makes their relationship with the patient much stronger than it would be with a doctor.

Take Annie’s character for example (played by Natalia Tena), from the film Ways to Live Forever. Annie takes extensive care of Sam (played by Robbie Kay) as he is diagnosed with leukemia and has to come to terms with the fact that his life is cut short.

Annie refers to herself as “Dracula” because she draws blood from many children patients. She builds a light-hearted relationship with Sam, continuing to answer his many questions about life and its meaning.

With healthcare systems shifting more towards systems that prevent and manage cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and other chronic diseases dealt with before hospitalization, the nurses’ role is becoming more important.

So let’s take this day to celebrate and remind nurses and others alike, the appreciation and importance of the work and dedication nurses make everyday to help you and your loved ones stay healthy.

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Mother’s Day Movies: The Struggles of Being a Mother

 

Motherhood is something unimaginably difficult to those who’ve never experienced it. From physically tending to a growing child, to influencing who that child grows up to be, motherhood is full of struggles that show why we should appreciate mothers on this special day. Though nothing can be done to perfection, mothers always make that effort for their children, or as the saying goes “mother knows best.” Every  situation brings something different, and in those times moms have to make difficult decisions as to what’s best for their child.

In today’s society, mother’s have every right to seek fulfilling careers and, at times, that’s combined with the desire to give their child financial comforts while foregoing spending a lot of time with them. In the film The Nightingale (distributed by World Wide Motion Pictures Corporation) Quan Ying is burdened by her desire to give her child a comfortable life, and to achieve that, she and her husband work tireless hours. However, when Quan Ying is faced with not having anyone to take care of her daughter Renxing, she makes the difficult decision to have her daughter join her grandfather on a trip to his hometown. This resolve was difficult since it was done without telling her husband, who would have vetoed her decision. Ultimately, the journey turns out for the best, as Renxing gains a more mature worldview on this journey, though it was a difficult one.

Sometimes life takes unexpected turns, and health makes the struggle of motherhood a lot more difficult. In the the film The Lovely Patient, Katherine is faced with putting the burden of relying on her son for support after she suffers a stroke. Despite the situation, their relationship is made stronger in the struggle.

In Ways to Live Forever, young Sam McQueen has leukemia, and his mother, Amanda, along with other adults, do the best they can so that he can have as normal a life as possible. Though she is unable to heal her child’s ailment, she does the best she can so that he can have a happy and normal life.

Lastly, these are just some film examples of how difficult it is to be a mother. The world is full of stories of different circumstances making motherhood have it’s happy moments and it's sad ones. Today is Mother’s Day, and we all should take the time to make it a special one for our own mothers so that they know how much we appreciate all they do to try and give us the best.

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Celebrate Your Favorite Stories on National Tell A Story Day!

 

Whether it be a story from a book, your imagination, or from memory, telling stories is a special way to learn and expand your mind. Each year on April 27, people all over the country celebrate National Tell A Story Day, a day where people get together and share various kinds of stories.

Special reading events are often times held in community centers, churches, libraries, and schools. Many libraries even have special story telling times for children.

Besides being educational, telling stories from past generations can help carry on family traditions and help families grow closer.

This brings to mind the character Sam (played by Robbie Kay) in the film Ways To Live Forever, as he documents his life and tells stories about his experiences after finding out he has been diagnosed with leukemia.

Sam’s heartwarming story takes you on an adventure as he learns more about his disease and grows into a teenager. He finds meaning to his life by leaving behind his story for all people to know.

As Sam’s homeschool teachers says in the film, “Humans have discovered that living forever is not possible, but there is something eternal that we can leave behind…works of art.”

To celebrate this day, you can create your own tale and work on your creativity and public speaking skills, or even tell a story your grandma told you about her grandma. It can be a short story or a long story, fiction or nonfiction - take advantage of this day to share your story!